CVE-2025-38211

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/iwcm: Fix use-after-free of work objects after cm_id destruction The commit 59c68ac31e15 ("iw_cm: free cm_id resources on the last deref") simplified cm_id resource management by freeing cm_id once all references to the cm_id were removed. The references are removed either upon completion of iw_cm event handlers or when the application destroys the cm_id. This commit introduced the use-after-free condition where cm_id_private object could still be in use by event handler works during the destruction of cm_id. The commit aee2424246f9 ("RDMA/iwcm: Fix a use-after-free related to destroying CM IDs") addressed this use-after- free by flushing all pending works at the cm_id destruction. However, still another use-after-free possibility remained. It happens with the work objects allocated for each cm_id_priv within alloc_work_entries() during cm_id creation, and subsequently freed in dealloc_work_entries() once all references to the cm_id are removed. If the cm_id's last reference is decremented in the event handler work, the work object for the work itself gets removed, and causes the use- after-free BUG below: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88811f9cf800 by task kworker/u16:1/147091 CPU: 2 UID: 0 PID: 147091 Comm: kworker/u16:1 Not tainted 6.15.0-rc2+ #27 PREEMPT(voluntary) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-3.fc41 04/01/2014 Workqueue: 0x0 (iw_cm_wq) Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x6a/0x90 print_report+0x174/0x554 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x208/0x430 ? __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 kasan_report+0xae/0x170 ? __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 __pwq_activate_work+0x1ff/0x250 pwq_dec_nr_in_flight+0x8c5/0xfb0 process_one_work+0xc11/0x1460 ? __pfx_process_one_work+0x10/0x10 ? assign_work+0x16c/0x240 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ? rcu_is_watching+0x11/0xb0 ? _raw_spin_unlock_irq+0x24/0x50 ? rcu_is_watching+0x11/0xb0 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 </TASK> Allocated by task 147416: kasan_save_stack+0x2c/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30 __kasan_kmalloc+0xa6/0xb0 alloc_work_entries+0xa9/0x260 [iw_cm] iw_cm_connect+0x23/0x4a0 [iw_cm] rdma_connect_locked+0xbfd/0x1920 [rdma_cm] nvme_rdma_cm_handler+0x8e5/0x1b60 [nvme_rdma] cma_cm_event_handler+0xae/0x320 [rdma_cm] cma_work_handler+0x106/0x1b0 [rdma_cm] process_one_work+0x84f/0x1460 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Freed by task 147091: kasan_save_stack+0x2c/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x10/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x37/0x60 __kasan_slab_free+0x4b/0x70 kfree+0x13a/0x4b0 dealloc_work_entries+0x125/0x1f0 [iw_cm] iwcm_deref_id+0x6f/0xa0 [iw_cm] cm_work_handler+0x136/0x1ba0 [iw_cm] process_one_work+0x84f/0x1460 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Last potentially related work creation: kasan_save_stack+0x2c/0x50 kasan_record_aux_stack+0xa3/0xb0 __queue_work+0x2ff/0x1390 queue_work_on+0x67/0xc0 cm_event_handler+0x46a/0x820 [iw_cm] siw_cm_upcall+0x330/0x650 [siw] siw_cm_work_handler+0x6b9/0x2b20 [siw] process_one_work+0x84f/0x1460 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xfd0 kthread+0x3b0/0x770 ret_from_fork+0x30/0x70 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 This BUG is reproducible by repeating the blktests test case nvme/061 for the rdma transport and the siw driver. To avoid the use-after-free of cm_id_private work objects, ensure that the last reference to the cm_id is decremented not in the event handler works, but in the cm_id destruction context. For that purpose, mo ---truncated---

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited over the network without logging in. High risk of data exposure, data tampering, service disruption.

Exploit odds

0.4% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2025-07-04 14:15 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-07-30 06:23 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 0.4% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 9.8 CRITICAL (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2025-07-04 14:15 UTC

Last modified

2026-07-30 06:23 UTC

Exploit probability

0.4% · EPSS, next 30 days

Weakness

CWE-416 · Use after free

Record status

Modified

Affected

• Linux Kernel < 5.4.296
• Linux Kernel < 5.10.240
• Linux Kernel < 5.15.186
• Linux Kernel < 6.1.142
• Linux Kernel < 6.6.95
• Linux Kernel < 6.12.35
• Linux Kernel < 6.15.4
• Debian Linux 11.0

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 9.8

Attack vector

Network

Complexity

Low

Privileges needed

None

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Is it in your code?

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